Norfolk Yeomanry facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Norfolk Yeomanry (The King's Own Royal Regiment) 65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA
Badge with the royal cypher of George VI and service cap as worn at the outbreak of the Second World War
Active	1794 – present
Country	Kingdom of Great Britain (1794–1800) United Kingdom (1801–Present)
Branch	British Army
Type	Yeomanry Artillery
Size	Regiment
Garrison/HQ	Norwich Swaffham
Engagements	First World War Second World War

The Norfolk Yeomanry was a special volunteer cavalry group in the British Army. It started in 1794. Over the years, it changed roles many times. They fought in the Second Boer War, then as foot soldiers in Gallipoli and Palestine during the First World War.

Between the big wars, they became an artillery unit. In the Second World War, they served as an anti-tank regiment. They fought in France, the Western Desert, Italy, and North West Europe. After the wars, they continued as an air defence unit and later joined the Army Air Corps.

History of the Norfolk Yeomanry

How the Yeomanry Started

A volunteer group called the Norfolk Rangers began in 1782. They helped defend the county of Norfolk during the American Revolutionary War. This group had both cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and infantry (foot soldiers).

In 1794, they became part of the Yeomanry Cavalry. During the Napoleonic Wars, there were three Norfolk Yeomanry regiments. Most of these groups were later disbanded in 1828. A new Norfolk Yeomanry Cavalry was formed in 1831 but also disbanded in 1849.

Fighting in the Second Boer War

In 1901, many new volunteer cavalry units joined the army. This was because the Imperial Yeomanry had been very successful in the Second Boer War. The Norfolk Imperial Yeomanry (King's Own) was one of these new groups.

King Edward VII, who lived in Norfolk, wanted this regiment to be formed. They used the Royal cypher (the King's special symbol) as their badge. This new regiment had four squadrons and a machine gun section.

Joining the Territorial Force

In 1908, the Yeomanry became part of the new Territorial Force (TF). This was a volunteer army for home defence. The regiment was renamed the Norfolk Yeomanry (King's Own Royal Regiment) (Dragoons).

Their main office was in Norwich. Squadrons were spread out in towns like Norwich, North Walsham, Fakenham, and King's Lynn. They were part of the Eastern Mounted Brigade.

The Norfolk Yeomanry in World War I

Getting Ready for War

When World War I started in August 1914, the Territorial Force was meant for home defence. But many members volunteered to serve overseas. So, TF units were split into different groups:

1st Line: For soldiers who could serve overseas.
2nd Line: For home service, for those who couldn't go abroad.
3rd Line: A reserve group to train new soldiers.

The 1st Norfolk Yeomanry: Overseas Service

The 1st Norfolk Yeomanry first helped defend the coast in Suffolk. In September 1915, they were sent to Gallipoli.

Gallipoli Campaign

The Norfolk Yeomanry traveled by ship to Lemnos and then to ANZAC Cove. They arrived on October 10, 1915. They joined the 54th (East Anglian) Division and learned about trench warfare. They took turns holding positions in the trenches near Hill 60.

Life in the trenches was very hard. Many soldiers got sick. By the end of November, 200 out of 500 men were sick. The campaign was eventually stopped. The Norfolk Yeomanry was among the last groups to leave Gallipoli in December 1915.

Fighting in Egypt and Palestine

The "Broken Spur" badge of the 74th (Yeomanry) Division

In February 1916, the regiment arrived in Egypt. They helped dig defences for the Suez Canal. Later, they moved to defend Egypt against the Senussi.

In early 1917, the Norfolk Yeomanry became the 12th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Battalion, Norfolk Regiment. They were now infantry soldiers. They prepared for the advance into Palestine.

They fought in the Third Battle of Gaza in October 1917. They advanced under heavy fire and cleared enemy trenches. The city of Beersheba was captured. On November 6, they attacked again, moving quickly over open land and capturing enemy gun positions.

In December, they attacked towards Jerusalem. They faced difficult terrain but pushed forward. On December 8, they reached Beit Iksa. The next morning, the enemy had gone, and Jerusalem fell to the British.

The fighting continued into 1918. The 12th Norfolks took part in the Battle of Tell 'Asur. They faced tough climbs and machine gun fire. But they kept pushing forward. In March 1918, many troops were sent to France because of a German attack there.

Moving to France and Flanders

The 74th Division, including the 12th Norfolks, moved to France. The 12th Norfolks joined the 31st Division. They fought in the Hundred Days Offensive, which was the final push of the war.

They took part in battles like La Becque and the Capture of Vieux Merquin. They also fought in the Fifth Battle of Ypres and at Tieghem.

The 2nd Norfolk Yeomanry: Home Defence

The 2nd Line regiment was formed in 1914. They were part of the 2/1st Eastern Mounted Brigade. In 1916, they became a cyclist unit. They merged with the 2/1st Suffolk Yeomanry for a time.

By July 1917, they were stationed in Woodbridge. In May 1918, they moved to Ireland and stayed there until the war ended.

The 3rd Norfolk Yeomanry: Training Reserves

The 3rd Line regiment was formed in 1915. Their job was to train new soldiers. In early 1917, this regiment was disbanded. Its soldiers were moved to the 2nd Line regiment or to other reserve battalions.

Between the World Wars

After World War I, the army was reorganized. In 1922, the Norfolk Yeomanry changed from cavalry to artillery. They became the 108th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Brigade, Royal Field Artillery (RFA). They had two batteries (groups of guns) in Swaffham.

Later, two batteries from the Suffolk Yeomanry joined them. In 1924, the RFA became part of the Royal Artillery (RA). The unit was then called the 108th (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Field Brigade, RA.

In 1938, the RA changed again. 'Brigades' became 'regiments'. The 108th Field Brigade became the 55th (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA. Their job was to fight enemy tanks.

The Norfolk Yeomanry in World War II

Getting Ready for World War II

In 1939, it was clear that another war was coming. The Territorial Army was doubled in size. The Norfolk and Suffolk Yeomanry were training when the war started on September 1.

The unit was then split into two:

55th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment
65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment

The 65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment was based in Swaffham. It had four batteries. Their main weapon was the 2-pounder anti-tank gun.

Fighting in France

The regiment joined the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and went to France in February 1940. When the Battle of France began in May, the German army quickly broke through. The British forces had to retreat.

The Battle of Arras

On May 21, the British tried to counter-attack near Arras. The 260 Battery of the Norfolk Yeomanry helped in this attack. They fought through towns and faced German tanks. Their guns knocked out many enemy tanks. One officer, 2nd Lieutenant Spens, was recognized for his bravery.

The Dunkirk Evacuation

After the Arras battle, the Germans continued their advance. The British forces were cut off and had to withdraw to Dunkirk for evacuation (Operation Dynamo). The Norfolk Yeomanry acted as a rearguard, protecting the retreating troops.

They destroyed their equipment and were evacuated from Dunkirk by boat. Most of the regiment left on May 31, and the last group left on June 2.

Defending Britain

After returning to Britain, the regiment reformed. They helped defend the coast in Dorset. They built small forts (pillboxes) and laid wire fences. They also worked with the new Home Guard.

They received new, though sometimes old, guns. Training continued, and by December 1940, they were ready for overseas service. They sailed for the Middle East.

Campaigns in the Western Desert and Europe

The regiment served in the Western Desert Campaign in North Africa. They joined the famous 7th Armoured Division, known as 'The Desert Rats'. They fought with this division in Italy and North West Europe until the end of the war in Europe.

After World War II

In 1947, the regiment was reformed as an Anti-Aircraft (AA) unit. It was called the 389th (The King's Own Regiment, Norfolk Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA.

In 1955, many AA units were merged. The 389th LAA Rgt merged with another unit to become the 284th (The King's Royal Regiment, Norfolk Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA.

In 1961, this regiment merged again with the 358th (Suffolk Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA. They became the 308th (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Field Regiment, RA.

In 1967, they became 202 (The Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Battery Royal Artillery (Volunteers). This battery is part of the 100th (Yeomanry) Regiment Royal Artillery (Volunteers).

Since 2006, they have been No. 677 (Suffolk and Norfolk Yeomanry) Squadron AAC (Volunteers). They are part of the 6 Regiment Army Air Corps (Volunteers). Their headquarters are in Bury St Edmunds, with other sections in Norwich and Ipswich.

Regimental Insignia and Uniforms

The Norfolk Yeomanry's badge was the Royal Cypher, which they kept even after becoming part of the Royal Artillery. Before World War II, they wore special Norfolk Yeomanry buttons and yellow patches on their uniforms. Officers had a unique canary yellow and blue field service cap.

In 1901, their first uniform was a dark blue jacket with a khaki helmet. They often wore yellow details. After 1914, they switched to standard khaki uniforms for everyday wear. However, the blue and yellow colors remained in some parts of the officer's uniform.

Memorials and Collections

A war memorial for the regiment is located in Norwich Cathedral. It lists the names of 196 officers and men who died during the First World War.

The Muckleburgh Collection in Weybourne, Norfolk, has displays of items and memories from the Norfolk Yeomanry.

Battle Honours

Battle honours are special awards given to military units for their bravery in battles. The Norfolk Yeomanry received these honours for the First World War:

For the Second World War, artillery units like the Norfolk Yeomanry did not receive specific battle honours. This is because the Royal Artillery was involved in almost every battle. Instead, in 1833, King William IV gave the Royal Artillery the motto Ubique, which means "everywhere." This motto stands for all their battle honours.

Notable Members

Many interesting people served in the Norfolk Yeomanry, including:

Viscount Coke, a noble.
W. E. Johns, who wrote the famous Biggles adventure books.
Frederick Duleep Singh, the son of the last ruler of the Sikhs.
George Townshend, 7th Marquess Townshend, who became an officer in the Scots Guards during World War II.
John Hare, 1st Viscount Blakenham, who served with a Suffolk Yeomanry unit in World War II.
Robert, 9th Lord Walpole, who transferred to another artillery regiment early in World War II.
Sir Maurice Alberic Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes, a well-known industrialist.
Arthur Guinness, Viscount Elveden, who was killed in action in Holland in 1945.

Leaders of the Norfolk Yeomanry

	List of Colonels-in-Chief	List of Honorary Colonels	List of Commanding Officers/ Officers Commanding
Norfolk (King's Own) Imperial Yeomanry (1901-1908)		King Haakon VII of Norway (1902–08)	Major H. A. Barclay (1901–13)
King's Own Royal Regiment (Norfolk Yeomanry) (including 108th (Suffolk & Norfolk Yeomanry) Brigade, RFA, 65th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regiment, RA 389th (Norfolk Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA) 1908-1961	King George V	King Haakon VII of Norway (1908–57) King Olav V of Norway (1957–61)	Viscount Bury (1920–26) Sir Charles Rowley, Bt (1935–39) W.N. Arnold (1939–40) K.W. Hervey (1940–42) G. Colchester (1942) R.F. Wright (1943) W.B. Stewart (1944)